[AMcWhirter]

Africa holds much potential but I just wonder if the infrastructure can cope with LCCs in terms of reliable operation and cheap fares ?

Anyone who watched the recent BBC feature on Tazara (the Dar to Lusaka railroad built by the Chinese) will understand that transport does not operate the way it does in Europe.

There’s also the safety issue to consider. How efficient is ATC in Africa ? How efficient is airport navigational equipment ?

The point is that for many of Africa’s governments, says IATA, is that aviation is not the top priority.

http://www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/pages/2012-09-03-01.aspx

[bwgs888]

Sparykflyer, I think there is likely to be far more demand for DUR-LHR than MPM-LHR. So a routing LHR-DUR-MPM would make much more sense than LHR-MPM-DUR. There are a lot of corporates in Durban that would fill the front of the plane (Unilever, Beiersdorf, Grindrod, Petronas, Aspen Pharma, Mr Price, etc) and the back would be filled by a local population with significant links to the UK. The direct Comair flight is off the cards so this is a route whose time is long overdue for one of the majors.

[sparkyflier]

In addition, Durban is the leading port of southern Africa, so the shipping sector would love the direct connection.

[sparkyflier]

A friend of mine has just flown BA from Dar Es Salaam, and was hugely pleased with the increased meal offering, with 3 meals on the 9 hour flight. There have been complains on this forum from posters about the catering on the Entebbe, Dar and Lusaka flights, but this goes to show that BA can listen.

Especially when there is competition, which in the case of Entebbe and Dar there is plenty off, from Turkish, Qatar etc.

What is worthy of note however, is that the food on the Lusaka flight has not been increased to 3 servings, even though this flight is longer than Dar! Might it just be that the competition is not as substantial to/from there yet..?

But BA had better watch, KLM and Emirates have started there now, and I would not be surprised if Turkish did not follow suit.

However, it does go to show that BA will do (or not do) whatever they can get away with and be as minimalist with its service where possible.

[Author]

Posts